The Clifton clarion., 1887-07-27
Important Land Office Circular.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
 GENERAL LAND OFFICE. WASHINGTON. D. C., June 20, 1887.

WASHINGTON. D. C., June 20, 1887. REGISTERS AND RECEIVERS,
 United States Land Office.
 GENTLEMEN:
 The first section of the act of March 3, 1877, entitled An act to provide for the sale of desert lands in certain States and Territories" |" provides for the reclamation of such lands by conducting water upon the same" The second sec tion provides 'that all lands ex- elusive of timber lands and mineral lands which will not, without arti- ficial irrigation, produce some ag- ricultural crop, shall be deemed desert lands within the meaning of this act" and the third section provides that 'the determination of what may be considered desert land shall be subject to the decision andregulation of the Commissioner of the General Land Office"
 It is therefore prescribed as fol lows:
 1st. Lands bordering upon streams, lakes or other natural bodies of water, or through or up on which there is any river, stream, arroyo, lake, pond. body of water, or living spring, are not subject to entry under the desert land law until the clearest proof of their desert character is furnished.
 2d. Lands which produce native grasses sufficient in quantity, if unfed by grazing animals, to make an ordinary crop of hay in usual seasons are not desert lands.
 3d. Lands which will produce an agricultural crop of any kind, in amount to make the cultivation reasonably remunerative, are not desert.
 4th. Lands containing sufficient moisture to produce natural growth of trees, are not to be class ed as desert lands.
 l. The amount of land which may be entered by any one person under the desert land act cannot exceed one section, or six hundred and forty acres, which must be in compact form, and no person can make more than one entry.
 2. Desert land entries are not assignable, and the transfer of such entries, whether by deed, con- tract, or agreement, vitiates the entry. An entry made in the in terest or for the benefit of any other person, firm or corporation, or with intent tha5 the title shall be conveyed to any other person, firm, or corporation, is illegal.
 3. The price at which lands may be entered under the desert land act is the same as under the pre- omption law, viz: Single minimum lands at $1.25 per acre, and double minimum lands at $2.50 per acre Section 2357, U. 5. Rev. Stat
 1. 4 party desiring to avail him self of the privileges of the desert land act must file with the Register and Receiver of the proper district land office a declaration, under oath, setting forth that the appli- cant is citizen of the United States or that he has declared his intentions to become such. In the latter case a duly certified copy of his declaration of intention to be- come a citizen must be presented and filed. It must also be set IF that the applicant has not pre- viously exercised the right of entry under the provisions of this act, and that he intends to reclaim the tract of land applied for by con- ducting water thereon within three years from date of his declaration. The declaration must also contain description of the land applied for, by legal subdivision if sur veyed, or if uEsurveyed as clearly as possible without a survey, by giving with as much clearness and precision as possible the locality of the tract with reference to the already established lines of survey, or to known and conspicuous land marks, so as to admit of its being readily identified when the lines of survey come to be extended.
 ,. Your attention is called t. the terms of this declaration as pro vided by existing regulations (Form 27N. which are such as